Points of Interest

The town, founded by the Etruscans around the seventh century BC, has always been inhabited and preserves documents from all eras: Etruscan, Roman, medieval and modern.

The first nucleus of Volterra was built around the Acropolis, where nowadays the archaeological area open to the public illustrates the oldest moments of the city. The rest of the town was then built around it. In the 5th century, the town was surrounded by walls whose extensive remains include the Porta all’Arco (“Gate to the Arch”). Outside the walls, there were necropolises, which housed the tombs of the most important Etruscan families.

The Roman era is documented by various monuments, the main one being the Roman Theatre at Vallebuona, which had the capacity to seat thousands of spectators. Besides the theatre, there are the remains of two Roman thermal buildings and some cisterns. The building that arouses the most interest, however, is the Amphitheatre, which was discovered only a few years ago, and is still under excavation.

However, the appearance of the city today is medieval, with tower houses, churches, and palaces dating back to that time, when the city was one of the most important ones in Tuscany.

Those who come to Volterra can admire the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (founded in the 9th century), with the beautiful thirteenth-century Baptistery in front. The heart of the city is Piazza dei Priori, dominated by the town hall, Palazzo dei Priori (13th century) and surrounded by medieval buildings, including the ancient Torre del Porcellino (“Tower of the Little Pig”). In the historical centre, visitors can also admire the churches of San Michele, San Francesco and San Lino, the Torri Toscano or Buonparenti houses, the Maffei or Guidi palaces, and the beautiful monumental fountains of Docciola and San Felice. From the top of the 13th-century walls that still surround Volterra today, you can admire the landscape with a view that extends down to the sea.

The most important museum is the Etruscan Museum “Mario Guarnacci”, one of the main Etruscan museums in Italy, where in addition to the large collection of urns (the only one of its kind), the famous bronze statuette of the Ombra della Sera (“Shadow of the evening”), the lid of the Urna degli Sposi (“Urn of the Spouses”) and hundreds of other ancient artefacts can be admired.

An important collection of paintings from the 13th to the 16th century is exhibited in the Pinacoteca. Another beautiful artistic exhibition of medieval works is the one preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art set up inside the Church of Sant’Agostino.

The Alabaster Ecomuseum illustrates the history of the working of this stone, which for centuries was the city’s main craft product. Those who prefer to admire works of contemporary art can visit the Santa Maria Maddalena Exhibition Centre, with its collections of works by Volterra artists and temporary exhibitions.

The proximity of the museums and their affinity make Volterra an ideal place to create a cultural itinerary in a tranquil, walkable atmosphere.